Curriculum 4 v 4, 5 v 5 GREET your players to practice! This will help create a welcoming and safe atmosphere for your players. Before practice to talk and joke with them. Remember the number one priority is FUN! Be a facilitator. At this age, the coach should act as a facilitator. Allow activities to be the teacher. Finally, coach with high energy, Keep soccer FUN, through ACTIVE PARTICIPATION! All aspects of practices and games should be fun for the players. Choose activities where every player can achieve success and the player to ball ration is 1 to 1. The only activity where this ratio should change is in your scrimmage. Also, don't be afraid to join in games and activities with them. Keep it SIMPLE & SILLY! All games and activities used should be simple to understand and easy to play. Also, the more silly the game, the more fun the players will have. Keep it SHORT & SWEET! Especially when introducing new activities or skills. Players have short attention spans and will focus more if the coach is expressive and exciting during practice. Give short, effective demonstrations while explaining the new activity or skill. Keep PRAISING players! Give players consistent positive feedback, both verbally and non-verbally (high five, smile and a pat on the back). Allow players to EXPERIMENT! Coaches should provide an environment in training and games where players can experiment with new soccer ideas. There should be a freedom to fail! Do not focus on WINNING and LOSING! Make sure you use activities where no one player can be singled out as a winner. Be creative in this aspect during practices and games. Keep practices EXCITING, FRESH, FUN & CHALLENGING. Avoid static line drills at all costs. Activities where every player has a ball and is moving are ideal. Activities where players have to line up or share a ball will allow them to lose focus and interest in the game. Remember NO LINES, NO LAPS, NO LECTURES! 45 MINUTE RULE Soccer contacts should last 45 minutes. Players will go all out for short periods, while it will only take a short time for them to recuperate. Allow for lots of short breaks during your practices. FEAR of failing. We must allow players to make mistakes, both in training and games. SHOUTING, SARCASM and NEGATIVE feedback. Remember, try to catch them being good!
Lesson 1 Activity: Welcome Game Area: 20 x 25 yards. 1. Description: Organize the team into a circle with only one ball between the group. Start with the ball in your hands, say your name and then hand the ball to the person to your right. 2. When the ball returns to the coach, now all the players must say the name of the person before the ball gets passed. 3. Pass the ball to a random person, now the person passing says the name. Activity: Red Light, Green Light Area: 20 x 25 yards. Description: Players dribble around and wait for commands: Red Light = Stop. Introduce stopping the ball with the inside & sole. Green Light = Go. Yellow Light = Toes taps, sit on ball, etc. Monster Truck = Coach tries to steal players soccer balls. Introduce turning to get away from the monster truck, either drag back or inside turn. Crash = Players fall to the ground &pretend to be hurt. Activity: Coaches Challenge Area: 20 x 25 yards. Description: Each player has a ball. Players take it in turns to give the ball to the coach. The coach throws it and gives the player direction with how to bring it back. For example: carry it, bounce it, hop with the ball, jump like a rabbit, dribble it, use left foot to dribble it, etc. Activity: Jake & the Netherlands Pirates Area: 20 x 25 yards. Description: Name all four sides of the grid; Capitan Hook, Izzy, Jake,. When the coach shouts the name of a place, all the players must go to that side. Other commands include: CAPTAIN ON DECK: Players place one foot on the ball and solute. MARBLES: Players do a forward role. PEG LEG: Players hop on one leg. Invent new commands.
Lesson 2 Activity: Foxes and Rabbits Area: 20 x 25 yards. Description: Start without a ball. Give each player a vest. Players then place the vest in the sides of their shorts. Coach starts as the fox and is trying to catch the rabbits by stealing their vests. When a vest has been stolen they become a fox and help the coach. Continue until one player remains. Play again. Activity: Red Light, Green Light Area: 20 x 25 yards. Description: Players dribble around and wait for commands: Red Light = Stop. Introduce stopping the ball with the inside & sole. Green Light = Go. Yellow Light = Toes taps, sit on ball, etc. Monster Truck = Coach tries to steal players soccer balls. Introduce turning to get away from the monster truck, either drag back or inside turn. Crash = Players fall to the ground &pretend to be hurt. Activity: Body Part Dribbling Area: 20 x 25 yards. Description: Players dribble around the area and wait for the coaches commands. When the coach shouts a body part, the players must stop the ball with that part of the body. Use feet and also be silly, (knee, chest ). Progression: Ask players to come up with their own commands. Activity: Colors Area: 20 x 25 yards with a box in each corner. Give each box a color name. Description: Each player dribbles around the area freely. When the coach shouts a color every player must dribble and stop the ball in that box. Progression: Name multiple colors to try and catch players out.
Lesson 3 Activity: Treasure Hunt. Area: 20 x 25 yards. Description: Coach places different items inside the area; cones, balls, bibs, etc. Split players into three teams and place them in a different corner. When the coach starts the game players from each team must retrieve one piece of treasure at a time and take it back to their corner wearing it. When all the treasure has been retrieved the game is over. Start over. Activity: Body Part Dribbling Area: 20 x 25 yards. Description: Players dribble around the area and wait for the coaches commands. When the coach shouts a body part the players must stop the ball with that part of the foot. Continue. Progression: Ask players to come up with their own commands. Include commands: Turn with the inside of the foot OR sole of the foot. Stop the ball with the inside of the foot OR sole of the foot. Activity: Follow the leader Area: 20 x 25 yards. Description: Start without the ball. Players follow the leader and complete the actions of the coach. For example; Hop, Skip, Jump, Role, Side to Side, Dribble etc. Activity: Cookie Monster Area: 20 x 25 with cones at end as shown. Description: Players line up on the end line opposite the coach. Game rules are when the coach is facing the players they shout COOKIE MONSTER ARE YOU HUNGRY. They dribble when the coach turns their back. When the coach faces, all players must freeze! Players are trying to steal some of the cookies from the cookie monster and dribble back to their end line. If a player is caught dribbling by the coach they must do a fun activity & re-start.
Lesson 4 Activity: Tag Area: 20 x 25 yards. Description: Players start the game by running around the area changing direction. Coach is IT and is trying to tag the players as they run around the area. If a players is tagged they grab a vest and help the coach tag the rest of the players. Continue until one player remains. Activity: Follow the leader Area: 20 x 25 yards. Description: Start without the ball. Players follow the leader and complete the actions of the coach. For example; Hop, Skip, Jump, Role, Side to Side, Dribble etc. When dribbling include: Turn with the inside of the foot OR sole of the foot. Stop the ball with the inside of the foot OR sole of the foot. Activity: Interactive Dribbling. Area: 20 x 25 yards with gates. Description: 1. Players start by dribbling around the area. 2. Players dribble through as many gates as possible in 1 minute. 3. Players are trying to avoid the coach who is trying to steal their soccer balls. 4. Once players move through a gate they must turn back through using either the inside of the foot OR sole. Activity: Sharks & Minnows Area: 20 x 25 yards with two 3 yard n-zones. Description: Place players on one end line with soccer balls. The coach starts in the center as the shark. When the coach shouts MINNOWS ARE YOU READY the players on the end line shout YEAH and go. Players are trying to get across the field to the opposite side without having their ball stolen. When a player has their ball stolen hey become a shark as well. Continue until one player remains.
Lesson 5 Activity: Hee Bee Dee Gee Bees Area: 20 x 20, 10 x 10 and 5 x 5. Description: Listen to the commands of the coach: Move without touching your teammate with 5 x 5. Jog without touching your teammate with 5 x 5. Full speed without touching each other 10 x 10. Introduce the ball and around 10 x 10. Open up to 20 x 20 and dribble at full speed. Activity: Interactive Dribbling. Area: 20 x 25 yards with gates. Description: 1. Players start by dribbling around the area. 2. Players dribble through as many gates as possible in 1 minute. 3. Players are trying to avoid the coach who is trying to steal their soccer balls. 4. Once players move through a gate they must turn back through using either the inside of the foot OR sole. Activity: Pirate Ship Area: 20 x 25 yards with a shark cage. Description: Players dribbling around freely and wait for the captains commands! Scrub the deck: players move the ball back & forth with the sole of the foot Captain on Deck: players stand straight up with one foot on the ball and salute the captain. Shark Attack - coach chases all the players into the shark cage! Ask players to turn away from your with either the inside OR sole of the foot. Activity: Cookie Monster Area: 20 x 25 with cones at end as shown. Description: Players line up on the end line opposite the coach. Game rules are when the coach is facing the players they shout COOKIE MONSTER ARE YOU HUNGRY. They dribble when the coach turns their back. When the coach faces, all players must freeze! Players are trying to steal some of the cookies from the cookie monster and dribble back to their end line. If a player is caught dribbling by the coach they must do a fun activity & re-start.
Lesson 6 Activity: Movement. Area: 20 x 25 with two 5 yard boxes. Place vest randomly on the ground. Description: Name the small boxes RED & YELLOW. Players start the game with no ball, running and jumping over the vests. On the coaches commands players run to a box. Other ideas include; stop at a vest then jump over, hop over a vest, do a forward role over a vest, chip the ball over the vest. Activity: Pirate Ship Area: 20 x 25 yards with a shark cage. Description: Players dribbling around freely and wait for the captains commands! Scrub the deck: players move the ball back & forth with the sole of the foot Captain on Deck: players stand straight up with one foot on the ball and salute the captain. Shark Attack - coach chases all the players into the shark cage! Ask players to turn away from your with either the inside OR sole of the foot. Activity: Treasure Hunt. Area: 20 x 25 yards. Description: Coach places different items inside the area; cones, balls, bibs, etc. Split players into three teams and place them in a different corner. When the coach starts the game players from each team must retrieve one piece of treasure at a time and take it back to their corner wearing it. When all the treasure has been retrieved the game is over. Start over. Activity: Chain Tag Area: 20 x 25 yards. Description: Players dribble around the area. When the coach tags a player they join the coach in the chain, without the ball. Continue until one player remains.
Lesson 7 Activity: Everybody s IT! Area: 20 x 25 yards. Description: Start with no soccer ball. Each player is IT and is trying to tag other players below the knee. Play the game for 2 minutes and see how many points each player has. Continue. Progression: Add the ball! Activity: Simon Says Area: 20 x 25 with large Description: players dribble around the area waiting for the coach to give a command with SIMON SAYS in front of it. If the coach doesn t say Simon Says the players continue to dribble. Introduce SIMON SAYS : Turn with the inside of the foot OR sole of the foot. Stop the ball with the inside of the foot OR sole of the foot. Activity: Trip to the zoo Area: 20 x 25 yards. Description: No ball. Listen to the commands of the coach: Strut like a peacock: lift knees high in the air Slither like a snake: on the ground move like a snake Hop like a rabbit: keep both feet together & jump forward Walk like an elephant: heavy steps on all fours Act like a tiger: pace and growl on all fours Activity: Jake & the Netherlands Pirates Area: 20 x 25 yards. Description: Name all four sides of the grid; Captian Hook, Izzy, Jake,. When the coach shouts the name of a place, all the players must go to that side. Other commands include: CAPTAIN ON DECK: Players place one foot on the ball and solute. MARBLES: Players do a forward role. PEG LEG: Players hop on one leg. Invent new commands.
Lesson 8 Activity: Movement. Area: 20 x 25 with two 5 yard boxes. Place vest randomly on the ground. Description: Name the small boxes RED & YELLOW. Players start the game with no ball, running and jumping over the vests. On the coaches commands players run to a box. Other ideas include; stop at a vest then jump over, hop over a vest, do a forward role over a vest, chip the ball over the vest. Activity: Hide and Seek Area: 20 x 25 yards with cones randomly spread around the area. Description: Play with no ball to start. Players follow the coach as he / she moves around the area. When the coach shouts its time to catch a munchkin the players try to get to a cone before the coach can tag them. Remove cones randomly to make the game harder. Activity: Freedom to move Area: 20 x 25 yards. Description: Players try to avoid cones when running around the area. Players stop at a cone and then jump over the cones. Players hop over the cones. Players have a cone each, throw it in the air & try to catch it. Create different things for the players to do. Activity: Sharks & Minnows Area: 20 x 25 yards with two 3 yard n-zones. Description: Place players on one end line with soccer balls. The coach starts in the center as the shark. When the coach shouts MINNOWS ARE YOU READY the players on the end line shout YEAH and go. Players are trying to get across the field to the opposite side without having their ball stolen. When a player has their ball stolen hey become a shark as well. Continue until one player remains.